Former Cricketer Shoaib Akhtar Replies to Defamation Notice

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has given a written response over the defamation notice by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) senior legal adviser Tafazul Rizvi.

Akhtar gave the written reply through his counsel Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi and contended that Rizvi tried to use the bar in this essentially inter-party dispute, with ulterior motives.

Earlier, the former fast bowler in his statement called into question Rizvi’s performance as the PCB counsel and described him as “incompetent”.
Rizvi in his defamation notice stated that Akhtar is
publicly known to have disciplinary issues throughout his career. Likewise, he claimed that Akhtar has been found indulging in indiscretions, indiscipline and unruliness.

Akhtar in his reply urged Rizvi to withdraw his statement by tendering an apology for defaming, ridiculing and humiliating his client in his defamation notice.

“The notice under reply is liable to be rejected in its entirety as the same is not the statutory notice envisaged by Section 8 of the Ordinance 2002,” said the reply submitted by the cricketer.

It is also stated that Rizvi alleged in the notice that Shoiab has committed slander.